Developing Athletic Motor Skill Competencies in Young Athletes

Motor skill competency has been highlighted as a key enabler for young children to participate in sports and physical activity. However, children do not innately develop motor skill proficiency simply as a result of natural growth and maturation. Developmentally appropriate training programmes should be designed to support the acquisition of motor skill competency throughout childhood and adolescence, as this is crucial for the long-term athletic development (LTAD) of young athletes. Key position statements highlight the importance of children and adolescents participating in strength and conditioning programmes to safely enhance movement skills, alongside developing levels of athletic ability. The following chapter will provide an overview of the natural development and trainability of motor skills during childhood and adolescence and introduce the Athletic Motor Skill Competencies (AMSC) and how these can be developed throughout an LTAD programme, with example case studies. While there are several terms used to describe the movement skills of individuals, motor skill competency will be used for consistency throughout this chapter.